As some of my readers know when it comes to justice around sex related crimes I take a very harsh and strong stance. I have advocated numerous times for the tougher sentences for those accused and found guilty of a sex related crime, especially those who have been found guilty of a crime committed against a child. Well today I was yet again reminded of the inadequate justice system with respect to this area of the Criminal Code of Canada.
I was reading over the news--I skim over Google news in the morning and was instantly drawn to this story (albeit from The Sun which is a right wing news agency and one can tell by the use of 'pervert' in the story) of a man who was charged and found guilty of a sex crime against a child. The child in question is 13 years old and according to the CCC is unable to consent to any sexual relationships, period. The legal age of consent is 14 years old and therefore this would be a 'rape' by that definition alone. Although I'm not 100% up to date with the crimes which a person can be charged with in respect to the CCC, my understanding is 'rape' is no longer a charge. It has been changed to aggravated sexual assault, or something of that manner. Nonetheless, lets call it for what it is, rape of a child.
What pisses me off the most about this story is not that the man was found guilty or pleaded guilty but the judges inability or unwillingness--only the court room knows for sure--to throw the god damn book at this man. Which brings me to my biggest problem with the CCC with respect to sexual crimes, especially violent sex crimes. I hate the fact that these crimes are not considered to be of the same calibre as a murder charge.
Most people know I am pretty forward thinking when it comes to the Justice system. As a matter of fact I have gone--on here at least--tete de tete with Vic Toews on his view of 'get tough on crime'--and I know he's no longer the justice minister so when news pops up on the new minister I'm sure he'll get the same treatment from me if he trots the same line. I think there needs to be more preventative options put in place instead of tougher sentences. However when it comes to this little area of the law I get real heated in debate and I get really pissed off at the view most politicians and judges and lawyers have with respect to the victims of these crimes. This is nothing new as I have always had this stance!
Let's face it, these sexual crimes are committed against two of the most vulnerable groups of people on this earth. We know that about 90% or more to the sexual assaults committed are committed against women and children. What boils my blood is that these 'men' in suits up in the offices--and the vast majority of politicians are men (women don't get involved enough)--don't get up in arms about this very small section of the Criminal Code of Canada. What if these very women and children who were having these crimes committed against them were their own daughters, wives or children? Would they then be up in arms about the whole issue??
What needs to be done, as I have always maintained, is that people charged with these crimes and found guilty should be held accountable to the same standards as those who take the lives of others. The emotional, spiritual, and mental death that occurs because of these crimes is likened to that of physical death. A person never fully recovers from the sexual assault that has been committed against one. When will these politicians wake up??
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